Ergo Tips for Alternative Workstations Posture is EVERYTHING!

Postures to AVOID

The Frankenstein The Neck Crane with Jazz Hands

The T-Rex The Turtle

The Standing Neck Crane with Jazz Hands

The Reverse Con the Couch

The Reverse Cwith Bad Eye Sight

and Large Head

The Hunchback with Bad Eye Sight

All of these postures are harmful to your body. Avoid leaning forward and sitting without back support or with a bent neck!

uhs.berkeley.edu/ergonomics

Short Term Posture - SittingThese sitting positions should only be used for 30 minutes or less.

Acheiving Optimal Posture on the Couch• Pillows placed behind the back provide lumbarand upper back support.•The upper arms hang relaxed by the sides ofthe torso.• A pillow placed on the lap elevates thelaptop slightly – this improves wrist position(and slightly improves monitor height.)

Working on Your Posture at the Dining Room Table• Placing pillows on the seat will place thelaptop keyboard at the correct level(elbow height).

• Using the eyes and not the neck to look down,balances the head over the shoulders.

• The hands are in the correct position but, themonitor is still much too low. This posture isonly safe for short periods of time!

Pillows on seat to help raise the elbow height to place

Pillows providing lumbar support and a pillow under the laptop to help raise the height.

Be it your dining room, kitchen, or bedroom, when working from home, it is important to remember that the proper ergonomics design of your computer workstation is important no matter where your home "office" may be. Many of you are now using your laptops more than ever, so below, please find some easy tips to improve your home workstation.

Short Term Posture - StandingThese standing positions should only be used for 30 minutes or less.Using Boxes, Books, and an External KeyboardThe standing workstation is modi ed to an ideal set-up for this worker by the use of some simple props and an external keyboard and mouse.• A large box or microwave and a few books raise the height of the laptop. The goal here is to get the laptopscreen (monitor) to the correct height for a balanced head posture (eyes aligned with top of screen).• An external keyboard/mouse is placed on a book to improve the height of the work-surface(elbow height).

Boxes, books, and a microwave elevate the

laptop to eye level.

Tip: Wear supportive shoes when standing.

Long Term Posture - SittingThese sitting positions can be used for working longer than 30 minutes.

• Laptops are NOT designed for prolonged use!• The keyboard must be separated from the screen foran ergonomic workstation.

Boxes, and books elevate the laptop to eye level.

Cushions, towels, and pillows are used as an additional support and raise you to proper seating height.

Use a towel as additional support for lower back.

B HDMI cable- Connects laptop to external TV/Monitor (Use laptop for input devices)B External Keyboard/Mouse

• Use cushions or pillows for lower and upper backsupport• Feet are flat on the floor or on a footrest

Input devices are at elbow height.

]Input devices are at elbow height.

Connecting to a screen that is at eye level.

Seperate the keyboard, mouse, and screen: